Determining the best treatment protocol for a patient suffering from a rare condition is a complex process that largely relies on the availability and the dissemination of clinical research knowledge. In many instances, the dissemination and availability of clinical research knowledge is facilitated by the publication of clinical studies. These clinical studies provide a medical professional with invaluable information regarding a specific treatment protocol, the underlying conditions observed in a patient, and a documented outcome observed. This information is crucial for determining an optimal treatment protocol for a patient afflicted with a rare or new condition. While these clinical studies offer a wealth of knowledge, they suffer from several disadvantages that can potentially hinder the selection of the best treatment protocol.
One of the disadvantages associated with clinical studies is attributed to inescapable delay caused by publication. In some situation studies may conclude months or years prior to the publication of the results. Another disadvantage associated with clinical studies is the difficulty in accessing a plurality of closely related clinical studies that published through different scientific journals. Currently, clinical studies and journal article are allowed to be restricted to a particular publication for a period of one year, after which the clinical study or journal article is made available for public viewing. Both of these disadvantages create a gap in information availability that hinders treatment providers. Still another disadvantage associated with clinical studies is attributed to the specificity of a particular study. In some cases several clinical studies may be conducted for a condition with a specific treatment protocol, but due to the specificity of the particular clinical study, the information becomes difficult to utilize. To improve upon this disadvantage a plurality of clinical information databases have been developed that offer an improved method to locate and identify similar conditions and optimal treatments from a vast publication database of clinical studies. While this solution improves upon some of the current disadvantages associated with finding clinical information, the gap in information availability is still present.
Therefore it is the object of present invention to improve the current provides a medical knowledge database and an information exchange and analysis software method that collects, organizes, and retrieves clinical experience submitted by various health care providers, researchers, and clinical specialist for the purpose of determining an optimal treatment protocols for new or existing conditions, as well as for predicting the medical future and a treatment progression for a patient afflicted with a particular condition or disorder.